The right foliage and flowers can transform a pool area into a lush, secluded backyard oasis. But choose your plants carefully — poolside gardens can also create messy leaf drop and clogged filters and often, once planted, are tricky to dig up and change. Swimming pools can also create a microclimate in the backyard, raising humidity levels in warm climates and intensifying the sun’s rays to bake the garden. You also may find that plants nearby get splashed with chlorine.
All things considered, poolside planting beds are challenging ones to fill. Here are a handful of options for tough, largely mess-free and low-maintenance plants (plus a few worth the extra trouble) that not only can thrive in poolside situations but look beautiful.
Clean and green. In this tranquil Melbourne, Australia, backyard, a combination of fig trees (Ficus microcarpa var. hillii, USDA zones 9 to 11; find your zone), clumping slender weaver’s bamboo (Bambusa textilis var. gracilis, zones 8 to 11) and a low-growing ground cover looks effortlessly chic. Like all bamboos, slender weaver’s does exhibit leaf-drop, but the designer has cleverly set it back from the pool for easy sweep up.
To get a similar look, choose poolside plantings with interesting forms and foliage, saving colorful flowers for other areas of the garden. Ficus offers the advantage of having little leaf-drop and filling in quickly to provide dense coverage — useful for creating privacy around a pool or covering a fence with green. While frost-tender ficus works well in semitropical and tropical climates, consider substituting for cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus, zones 6 to 10) or Carolina laurelcherry (Prunus caroliniana, zones 8 to 10) in cooler climates.
In the evening, subtle uplighting highlights the trunks of the ficus trees and ribbed stems of the ‘Slender Weaver’ bamboo. All plants shown in this garden thrive in full sun and with moderate water.
Secret Gardens
Sculptural accents. Cactuses and succulents, like agave, yucca and echeveria, make excellent poolside plants. They look good year-round with hardly any care, produce practically no mess, thrive in sunny conditions and are generally pretty tough when it comes to getting splashed by a bit of chlorinated water.
For the best effect, choose cactuses and succulents with interesting, sculptural forms like strappy, upright Nelson’s blue bear grass (Nolina nelsonii, zones 8 to 10) and finger-like blue chalk sticks (Senecio serpens, zones 9 to 12). Planting them against a wall or near enough to the pool so that their forms are reflected in the water will enhance the design’s graphic quality.
Beach club style. For a chic, whitewashed resort look, the designer of this pool and planting in Sydney combined white sandstone with a built-in planter filled with dark foliage plants. The contrast of the bronze foliage of the trio of magnolia trees and underplanting of giant lilyturf (Ophiopogon jaburan, zones 7 to 10) against the white walls forms a stunning combination.
The magnolia thrives in full sun while the giant lilyturf appreciates some shade cast by the trees above. Both plants require little maintenance and are low-mess.
Debra Yates
Tropical color punch. This bright orange accent wall and cascade of hot pink bougainvillea (Bougainvillea sp., zones 9 to 11) makes a colorful statement in a Miami backyard. While bougainvillea doesn’t quite hit our low-mess criteria for an ideal poolside plant, it’s worth picking fallen blossoms out of the pool for such a spectacular display of flowers. Try to site it just back enough from the pool to cut down on the mess.
Bougainvillea thrive in baking sun and radiant heat placements — like walls next to pools — that would make many other plants shrivel.
Alka Pool Construction Ltd
Tiered planting. If your pool is sited on a hillside, use the slope to inform the design of the pool and planting beds. In this Vancouver backyard, the pool design incorporates an infinity edge to take advantage of the level change, and the planting beds of boxwoods (Buxus sp., zones 5 to 9), a purple ground cover and lavender (behind the lounges) are arranged in tiers. The overall effect is one of many layers of cooling blues, greens and purples. The plants all thrive in full sun and with moderate water.
Envision Landscape Studio
Low-water, pollinator-friendly. This colorful sloped planting in a Northern California garden not only makes a dramatic backdrop for the pool but also supports native birds and insects. Immediately behind the water feature pouring into the pool, a row of blue-green Weber’s agave (Agave weberi, zone 8) makes a structural statement against the first retaining wall for the slope.
Behind the agave, magenta-colored ‘Garnet’ penstemon (Penstemon ‘Garnet’, zones 7 to 9) and the yellow-flowering kangaroo paws (Anigozanthos sp., zones 9 to 11) to the right would both be magnets for bees, butterflies and other insects and pollinating birds. All plants pictured grow best in full sun and with low water.
Bultman Architecture Inc.
Resort chic. This easy pairing of Alexander palms (Ptychosperma elegans, zone 11) and star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides, zone 8) in a garden in Miami looks lush and tropical but doesn’t require much maintenance. Palms are a classic poolside plant — instantly making a mild-climate garden feel tropical.
The jasmine is a particularly useful poolside ground cover. It thrives in bright sunlight, benefits from the increased poolside humidity and can fill in as a dense ground cover in just two years. In spring, the plant is studded with white blossoms that will perfume the pool with a sweet fragrance.
Wagner Hodgson
Graphic grasses. Another opportunity to consider for a poolside planting is how you can use the surface of the water to create a reflection of the plantings. Some plants, like those with structural forms, like agaves and upright ornamental grasses, look particularly dramatic reflected in water.
For this poolside planting in Stowe, Vermont, the landscape architect used a row of ‘Karl Foerster’ feather reed grass (Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’, zones 4 to 9) to create a beautiful reflection of tawny gold and greens on the dark surface of the pool.
Wagner Hodgson
The row of ‘Karl Foerster’ feather reed grass also doubles as a light, airy privacy screen, separating the pool area from the larger garden.
Katharine Webster Inc.
Mediterranean mix. In this Northern California wine country retreat, a poolside planting heavy on silver foliage and lavender blooms makes a lovely pastel backdrop. Many of the plants chosen are drought-tolerant, such as the olive trees (Olea europaea, zones 8 to 11), dusty miller (Senecio sp.) and thyme. When blooming, the French lavender (Lavandula stoechas, zones 5 to 9) and thyme would also attract pollinators. All plants thrive in full sun.
More
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How to Design a Low-Maintenance Garden
Insights, advice, suggestions, feedback and comments from experts
As an expert and enthusiast, I have access to a wide range of information on various topics, including poolside gardening. While I have personal experiences or opinions, I can provide you with factual information and insights based on the content you provided.
Poolside Gardening: Choosing Plants for Pool Areas
When it comes to poolside gardening, it's important to choose plants carefully to create a lush and beautiful oasis while minimizing potential issues such as messy leaf drop and clogged filters. Additionally, the microclimate created by the pool can affect the plants, with increased humidity levels and intensified sun exposure.
Here are some key concepts mentioned in the article and information related to each:
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Clean and green: The article suggests using a combination of fig trees (Ficus microcarpa var. hillii), clumping slender weaver's bamboo (Bambusa textilis var. gracilis), and low-growing ground cover for a clean and green poolside look. Ficus trees offer dense coverage and little leaf-drop, making them suitable for privacy or covering fences. Slender weaver's bamboo exhibits leaf-drop but can be strategically placed away from the pool for easy cleanup.
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Sculptural accents: Cactuses and succulents, such as agave, yucca, and echeveria, are mentioned as excellent poolside plants. They require minimal care, produce little mess, and thrive in sunny conditions. Choosing cactuses and succulents with interesting, sculptural forms can enhance the design's graphic quality. Reflecting their forms in the water can create a visually appealing effect.
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Beach club style: The article showcases a pool and planting design in Sydney that combines white sandstone with dark foliage plants. The contrast of bronze foliage from magnolia trees and underplanting of giant lilyturf creates a stunning combination. Magnolia trees thrive in full sun, while giant lilyturf appreciates some shade. Both plants require little maintenance and are low-mess.
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Tropical color punch: A Miami backyard features a bright orange accent wall and a cascade of hot pink bougainvillea. While bougainvillea may not meet the low-mess criteria, its spectacular display of flowers can be worth the extra effort. Placing it slightly away from the pool can help reduce the mess. Bougainvillea thrives in sunny and hot conditions, making it suitable for walls next to pools.
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Tiered planting: If your pool is situated on a hillside, you can use the slope to inform the design of the pool and planting beds. In a Vancouver backyard, the pool design incorporates an infinity edge, and the planting beds feature boxwoods, a purple ground cover, and lavender arranged in tiers. These plants thrive in full sun and require moderate water.
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Low-water, pollinator-friendly: A Northern California garden showcases a colorful sloped planting that serves as a dramatic backdrop for the pool while supporting native birds and insects. Blue-green Weber's agave, magenta-colored 'Garnet' penstemon, and yellow-flowering kangaroo paws are featured. These plants thrive in full sun and require low water.
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Resort chic: Alexander palms and star jasmine are paired in a Miami garden to create a lush and tropical look with minimal maintenance. Palms are classic poolside plants, while star jasmine is a useful ground cover that thrives in bright sunlight and benefits from increased poolside humidity. It also produces fragrant white blossoms in spring.
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Graphic grasses: The article suggests using plants with structural forms, such as agaves and upright ornamental grasses, to create dramatic reflections in the pool. 'Karl Foerster' feather reed grass is mentioned as an example. It not only creates a beautiful reflection but also serves as a light and airy privacy screen .
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Mediterranean mix: In a Northern California wine country retreat, a poolside planting with silver foliage and lavender blooms creates a lovely pastel backdrop. Drought-tolerant plants like olive trees, dusty miller, and French lavender are mentioned. These plants thrive in full sun.
These concepts provide a range of options for poolside gardening, considering factors such as plant maintenance, messiness, sun exposure, and design aesthetics. It's important to select plants that are suitable for your specific climate and local conditions.
Let me know if there's anything else I can help you with!
